Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-04


Gle, the pulpit only the fire. place,
around which they are gathered in sweet
ana domestic communion. But when our
nrst tabernacle Went up, o the caricatnre
and the scOfiingl They said: "lt's Il hip
podrome! It's holy circus! It's Tai
mage's theatrep' But the Lord came
down with power upon that old building
ana made 1t the gate OF heaven to great
many. And this building followed. That
we were right in persisting in the style of
architecture is proved by the fact that
now there are sixty or seventy churches
IN the United States in the same style.
indeed, our tabernacle has revolutionized
church architecture in this country.
i've church must have a commodious,
comfortable, AN adapted building. "liow
amiabe are Thy Tabernacles, o Lord OF
hosts! l would rather be "a dOorkeeper
In the house of my God than to dwell in
the tents OF wickedness"
Again, the characteristic Of live
cAurch must be that it is a soul-saving
church. 1t must be the old GOSPEL of
Christ. "O,' say some people, ''the
Gospel Of Christ allows but small swing
lor mans faculties, and some men
nave left the ministry with that idea"
One such said to Rowland Hill 81 have
lett the ministry because don't want to
hide my talents any longer" "Well,"
replied Rowland Hill, ~ think the more
you hide your talents the better" Why,
there Is no field on earth so grand as that
which Is open before the gospel ministry,
Have you powers OF analysisp exhaust
them here. Have you unconQuerabIe
logic? let 1t grapple with Paurs Epistle
TO the Romans. Have you strong
imagination? let II discourse on
the Psalms of David, or Johns
apocayptlc vision. Have you great
powers of pathosp exhaust 1t in telling
The story OF Saviour's love. Have you
bold style OF thinking? then follow
EzekiePs wheel, full OF eyes, and hear
through his chapters the rush Of the
wings of the seraphim. All We who want
grand field In which to work for God,
come into the gospel ministry. At any
rate, come into Christian circles, and
somewhere and somehow, declare the
grace of God. Pardon for all sin. Com
fort for all trouble. Eternal life for all
the dead. Oh, my SOUL preaon 1t forever.
1t has been my ambition, and |
believe it has been yours my
dear people, in these years
of my ministry to have this a soul.saYng
church, aud we never yet threw out the
Gospel net but we drew in great multi
tude. They have come 100 at a time and
200 at time and $50 at time, and ex-
pect the day will appear when, in some
service, there will be 1900 souls accepting
the offers of eternal life. / wish could
tell you some circumstances that have
come under my observation, proving the
tact that God has blessed the PRAYERS of
these people in behalf OF souls immortal.
could tell you of one night when stood
at the end of the platform and gentle
man passed me, his cheek br0nzed with
the sea, and as he went into the inquiry
room ne said to me: ~ am an English.
man. said: 81 am very glad TO see you:
walk In" That night he gave his heart
to the Lord. 1t was clear case OF uulck
but thorough conversion. Passing out at
the close OF the inquiry meeting, | said:
"HOw long have you been In this coun-
tryp He said: 81 arrived by steamer
this morning at IL O'clock" l said:
''How long will you be in The cityr' He
said: II leave tomorrow for Canada. and
thence / go to Halifax, and thence to Eu.
rope, and Pll never be here again.O |
said: 81 think you must have come to
this country TO have your soul saved"
Hesaid; THAT certainly was the reason"
In that other room, one night, at the
close Of the service, there sat among other
persons, three persons looking 80
cheerful that | said to myself: "These
are not anxious inquirers."
said to the man: "Are you a Chris.
tianV He said: 81 am" said: When
did you become a Christianr' He said:
Tonight" His wife sat next Co him. /
said TO her: "Are you ChristianY~ She
said: 81 am" said: "When did you
become a Christianr' She said: $40.
night" remarked: "Is this young lady
your daughterY They said: "Yes.D /
said to her: "Are you CnristianY" She
SAID: "Yes." | SAID: "When did You
become a Christianr She said: $40.
night" l said to them: From whence
came youW They said: "We are from
Charleston, S. O." | said: When did
you comeY They said: 1--WE came yes
terday." Glow long are you going to re-
mainp "We 20 tomorrow. We have
never been here before and shall never be
here again" / have heard from them
since. They are members of the church
OF Jesus Christ. in good and regular
standing, eminent for consistency
and piety. And so God has made it a
sOul-savlng church. But l could tell
you OF tragic scene, when once at the
close of tue service found man IN one
of these front seats, wrought upon most
nightly. L said TO him: "What Is the
matter?" He replied: IL am a captive
OF strong drink; [ came from the West;
| thought, perhaps you could do me some
good; find you can't do me any good; |
find there is no hope for me-" 1 said:
"Come into this side room and we will
talk together.' ''Oh, noW he said,
there is no need OF my going In; am
lost man; | have beautiful wife; have
four beautiful children; had fine pro.
fessiOn; l have had thorough educa-
ton; mad every opportunity man
ever had, but | am captive OF strong
drink; God only knows what
suffer-" l said: BE encouraged; come
In here, and We'll talk together about it,
mo-" he said, 81 can't come; you can't
DO me any good. | was on the Hudson
river railroad yesterday, and coming
down l resolved never again to touch a
drop OF strong drink. While | sat there
a man came ina low creature-and sat
by me; be had a whisky flask, and he said
to me: 'Will you take a drinkY | said
no; but oh, how ] wanted i'll and as |
said no, II seemed that the liquor curled
up around the mouth OF the flask and
begged: take mel take mel take mel
| felt l couldn't resist 1t, and yet |
was determined not TO drink, and | rush.
ed out on the platform of the Car, and
thought would jump of; we were going
at the rate Of forty miles an hour, and l
didn't dare to jump; the paroxysm OF
thirst went of, and am here tonight"
said: "Come IN, I'll pray for you, aud
commend you 10 God" He came in
trembling. Some Of you remember. Az
ter the service we walked out and up
the street. said: "YOu nave an awful
struggle; Pll take you into a drug store;
narba pa tho doctOr can give Won soma